PowerPC 970 goes dual-core

IBM introduced this week the dual-core version of its PowerPC 970 processor during the Power Everywhere Forum 2005 in Japan. The chips, which are also widely known as G5s in the world of Macs, were officially labeled as PowerPC 970MP, and will be available in speeds ranging from 1.4GHz to 2.5GHz.

The 64-bit chips, code-named Antares, contain two processing units per chip, each with their own execution core and Level 1 cache. Additionally, each core includes a storage subsystem with 1MB Level 2 cache, making the chips twice as efficient as IBM's current 970FX PowerPC G5 processors.
Despite of the fact Apple announced a few weeks ago they were switching from PowerPC to Intel processors, the move is expected to take at least a couple more years, making the new dual-core processors a logical step forward for upgrading its existing line of Power Mac G5 and iMac G5 systems.

Additionally, IBM announced the launch of new low-power PowerPC 970FX processors that will run at 1.4 GHz to 1.6 GHz, while operating at less than 20 watts.